news n Amberly Lynn Samuelson, 22, of Spicer, pleaded guilty Wednesday to an amended charge of gross misdemeanor theft for taking a man's vehicle in July.
As part of a plea agreement, the charge was reduced from a felony for motor vehicle theft and a misdemeanor charge for tampering with a motor vehicle...
Willmar, 56201

As part of a plea agreement, the charge was reduced from a felony for motor vehicle theft and a misdemeanor charge for tampering with a motor vehicle will be dismissed. She also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for driving after revocation. Samuelson will be sentenced Feb. 24.

The charges were filed after July 18, when Willmar police were called to the 1600 block of 17th Avenue Northwest. A man reported his vehicle had been stolen while he was at a party, that he and others had located it nearby and that Samuelson had been driving, but fled on foot. Witnesses said that between 3 and 4 a.m., Samuelson and a 16-year-old juvenile had left with the vehicle.

- Nadia Italia Martinez, 31, of Pennock, made her first appearance Wednesday on 11 felony charges of wrongfully obtaining assistance and perjury.

Unconditional bail was set at $20,000. Conditional release was allowed on her personal recognizance. Her next court appearance is Feb. 2.

According to the complaint, in April 2007, Martinez applied for public assistance from Kandiyohi County Family Services for herself and three children. She listed Jose Angel Quilantan, 32, as a resident of the household who was in the country illegally and therefore not entitled to assistance. However, the man's income was to be reported to determine eligibility for public assistance.

Martinez repeatedly reported that Quilantan was a member of the household but was not working or receiving any income. An investigation revealed that he was working for Lake Country Resources, under someone else's Social Security number, from April 2007 to Sept. 2008 and that his income had not been reported to family services. The resulting overpayment was $6,239 in assistance from May to September 2008.

- Martin Esquivel Torres Jr.. 25, of Willmar, made his first appearance Wednesday on four felony charges of assault, domestic assault and false imprisonment for a domestic incident on Jan. 2.

Unconditional bail was set at $60,000 with conditional bail at $40,000. His next court appearance is Feb. 2. Torres also faces a gross misdemeanor charge for interfering with a 911 call and a misdemeanor for domestic assault.

According to the complaint, around 10 p.m. on Jan. 2, Willmar police were called to a home in Regency Estates West on a domestic. A woman there said she had been asked by a neighbor to call police. Officers found a woman alone in a home, who said Torres had hit her in the head with a 40-ounce beer bottle and that she had hit him in the head with a utility light. Officers assessed the woman's condition and determined she needed to go to the hospital to get stitches for a 3-millimeter gash in her head. At the hospital, the woman said Torres had repeatedly grabbed her by her hair, punched her, choked her, smothered her with a pillow and kept her hostage inside the home so she could not seek help. She said he also smashed a telephone when she attempted to call for help.